For the last two years, my Honors Project has been a labor of love. One of my favorite things about the Honors Program is that you can create your own path, which is exactly what I have done by creating the Coteau Coffee Cart. As I said, it all started the summer before my junior year when I had the idea to open a campus business. While brainstorming ideas, I came up with the idea of a coffee cart in the Upper School. Throughout last year, I developed this idea more, and this year I was able to turn my idea into a reality.
Last year, I did a lot of work to get the idea off of the ground. Most people probably thought I was a little crazy, but I moved forward with research and planning. I created business plans, budgets, marketing strategies, and menus. I learned about the benefits of coffee and how it could help our school population. According to the American Medical Association, coffee is a mood booster because it stimulates the consumer's dopamine in the brain which helps with mood and motivation to learn. A New York University study explains how positive emotions correlate to better learning and comprehension. All my work and research culminated into a pitch to Dr. Adler, the Director of Finance and Operations, and other Administration staff. Dr. Adler approved my idea and issued a loan to me to start the business.
Fast forward to this year, and all my work from last year is finally paying off. Over the summer, I bought inventory and machinery to stock the cart. I opened the Coteau Coffee Cart on September 10, 2025, and we continue to serve customers every Wednesday before school. Since opening, there have definitely been a bunch of errors, but it has also been an amazing experience.
The biggest challenge that I have been working on is marketing the business effectively. According to the article “Exploring the Effects of Coffee Shop Brand Experience on Loyalty: The Roles of Brand Love and Brand Trust” by Raden Bernard, customer loyalty is the cornerstone of brand success. I have tried to address this situation by making announcements at assemblies and sending out weekly email reminders. Additionally, I have been researching business failure and if or why businesses fail in their first year. Interestingly, according to Ohio State Nexus, most businesses do not fail in their first few years of business. In fact only 17% of businesses that fail actually fail in their first year. What people do not realize is that it takes a while for businesses to break even and actually start making money. It is important to build a customer base to stay successful.
As of Wednesday November 20th, The Coteau Coffee Cart has paid back its debt of $630 given to me from the school to start it. This almost never happens in the business world, and I believe it shows promise for the longevity of the business. And there are some really exciting things coming up, including a pop-up at Christmas at Coteau. I am stocking up, securing student staff, and crafting a special menu.
All along, my plan has been to donate any profits from this business to the school. Since we are getting close to breaking even, I am in the process of figuring out and finalizing the campus project the funds will support. Besides that, I continue to research different marketing strategies that I can implement to boost sales and secure a solid customer base because this business will continue after I graduate. Junior, Annabel Capps, has been working by my side every Wednesday morning, and she will take over once I leave so that The Coteau Coffee Cart can live on for years to come.
Ultimately, the goal of this Honors project was to impact the school, but I have also been impacted for the better. I have learned how to actually run a business, how to work with money, how to connect with people, and how to speak and present myself in meetings with adult professionals. These are skills that I will be able to take with me wherever I go. I am so grateful for the support of the entire Upper School community, and I cannot wait to see what becomes of this crazy idea I had two years ago.